Truly a "Grand Voyage"

Volendam Cruise Review to South Pacific - Australia

Cruises: 7+ cruises
Review: 1
Helpful Votes: 2

Overall rating:

4.8 out of 5
Verified Review
Volendam

94 Night Grand Australia & New Zealand Voyage (San Diego Roundtrip)

Sail date: January 03, 2024

Ship: Volendam

Cabin type: Oceanview

Cabin number: 6160

Traveled as: Couple

Reviewed: 26 days ago

Review summary

This was a once in a lifetime voyage with the opportunity to see distant ports without having to fly to Australia or New Zealand

Embarkation

5 out of 5
Embarkation process was smooth.

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

5 out of 5
We were pleased with the food in the Lido, the main dining room, the Pinnacle Grill and The Dive In. There was always a variety of dishes to choose from.

Onboard Activities

5 out of 5
Loved the pickleball lessons, the watercolor classes, the offerings of the Hawaiian team, the lectures, and the classical musicians.

Entertainment

5 out of 5
With the exception of 2 performers the stage shows were great. The on board musicians were extremely talented.

Children's Programs

no children traveling with us and only a very few on board

Service and Staff

5 out of 5
Our cabin stewards, Cory and Steven were fantastic. Friendly, helpful and quick to respond. Ryan of the wait staff went above and beyond what you would expect. Benjamin and Natalie at the Explorer Cafe were great.

Ship Quality

5 out of 5
The cleanliness of the ship was outstanding. Love the smaller ship and the ease of getting around.

Cabin / Stateroom

5 out of 5
Except for pillows which should be replaced the cabin was comfortable and always clean, thanks to our stewards.

Ship tip

This is a lovely ship. The relative small size makes navigating the ship easier than on larger ships. And the ship is large enough to provide multiple activities.

Ports of call

San Diego, California

5 out of 5
No excursion

Honolulu, Oahu

3 out of 5
Our excursions were canceled. But being a US port passengers were comfortable visiting sites independently.

Hilo, Hawaii

5 out of 5
The Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is a gem and worth a visit

Cross International Dateline

5 out of 5

Fanning Island, Kiribati

1 out of 5

Cross The Equator

5 out of 5

Pago Pago, American Samoa

5 out of 5

Apia, Samoa

5 out of 5
An extremely clean city

Suva, Fiji

5 out of 5

Lautoka, Fiji Islands

5 out of 5

Mystery Island, Vanuatu

5 out of 5
The locals had a magnificent arts and craft area set up

Lifou Isle, New Caledonia

2 out of 5

Noumea, New Caledonia

5 out of 5

Brisbane, Australia

5 out of 5

Townsville, Australia

5 out of 5

Cairns, Australia

5 out of 5
Was able to snorkel the Great Barrier Reef. An exceptional experience

Cruise Great Barrier Reef

2 out of 5
Don't expect to see much while cruising the reef

Cruise Ribbon Reef Region

5 out of 5
Don't expect to see much while cruising the reef

Cruise Torres Strait

5 out of 5
Don't expect to see much while cruising the strait

Komodo Island, Indonesia

1 out of 5
Snorkeling at the Pink Beach was amazing.

Darwin, Australia

1 out of 5

Broome, Australia

1 out of 5
Beautiful but expensive pearls for sale. The tourist bureau offered a fantastic tour of Broome highlights.

Fremantle (Perth), Australia

5 out of 5

Albany, Australia

5 out of 5

Port Lincoln, Australia

1 out of 5

PENNESHAW, KANGAROO ISLAND, AUSTRALIA

5 out of 5

Adelaide, Australia

5 out of 5

Melbourne, Australia

5 out of 5

Hobart, Tasmania, Australia

5 out of 5

Port Arthur, Tasmania, Australia

5 out of 5

Sydney, Australia

5 out of 5

Cruise Milford Sound Did not visit port

Captain had to alter schedule to make the next port.

Port Chalmers (Dunedin), New Zealand

5 out of 5

Timaru, New Zealand

5 out of 5

Akaroa, New Zealand

5 out of 5

Wellington, New Zealand

5 out of 5

Napier, New Zealand

5 out of 5

Tauranga, New Zealand

5 out of 5

Auckland, New Zealand

5 out of 5

Waitangi, Bay Of Islands, New Zealand

5 out of 5

Nuku'Alofa, Tonga Islands

5 out of 5

Aitutaki, Cook Islands Did not visit port

waves washed over tender platform

Rarotonga, Cook Islands Did not visit port

canceled and replaced with Bora Bora

BAHIA D OPUNOHA, MOOREA, FRENCH POLYNESIA

5 out of 5
A beautiful island with amazing snorkeling

Huahine, French Polynesia

5 out of 5

Papeete, Tahiti

4 out of 5
A big crowded city

Fakarava, Tuamotu Archipelago

5 out of 5
Great snorkeling at the Blue Green Lagoon

Nuku Hiva, Marquesas

5 out of 5

Disembarkation

5 out of 5
Extremely easy disembarkation
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